Reversible
by Sora Moto
Summary: Matthew has always looked out for Alfred from the shadows, but now someone's noticed and is plotting something that Matthew is only in the way for. Rated for violence.
1. Chapter 1

Matthew had always silently been Alfred's hero. He had always supported and protected his brother from the shadows, unseen and unacknowledged.

A slam and a crunch accompanied by a gasp as pain exploded along his spine.

He didn't mind though that Alfred, and the rest of the world, overlooked what he did, crediting others with what he had done.

The sickening sound of something slicing through wet flesh and a whimper of pain.

Really he didn't because it allowed him to better protect those he cared for.

"Look at the hero now." A muffled cry before a wet splattering sound.

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It was attendance day at a world meeting, this time the meeting was in New York. Alfred was rushing around looking for his brother, Matthew. The two had made plans to meet up before the meeting so Matthew could look over Alfred's presentation on global warming. The problem was his brother hadn't shown up. This caused the younger brother to grow increasingly worried. Matthew was never late for an appointment.

"Hey Gilbert!" Alfred flagged down the albino, one of his brother's friends. "Have you seen Mattie today?"

"Mattie? Naw, haven't seen him yet. Why?"

Alfred worries his bottom lip before answering. "He was supposed to meet with me before the meeting but he never showed."

"That's not like him at all. Wonder what could have happened to him?"

The two share a glance before hurrying off to the meeting room to check in with Ludwig before leaving to head for the Canadian's house.

Matthew's house was near the border with the United States. He had once told Alfred it was to make it easier for him to get to meetings since most were held at the UN building in New York. Alfred always joked with him that it was so he'd be closer to the 'hero'.

When the pair reached Matthew's house they saw a red pick up in the driveway that usually signified Matthew was home. Making their way to the door they knock before entering.

"Mattie? Hey bro, you here?"

"Yo, Birdie, the awesome me came to check on you?"

They were greeted by silence upon entering but once they turned into the living room both gasp in horror at the site. Blood. It was everywhere. Splattered on the walls, the floor, the furniture. It trailed out and into the kitchen and the two followed it there. In the kitchen, the wall shared with the hallway had been painted an off white with yellow tones to it. Matthew had always left it more or less bare as the kitchen table sat next to it. When the two entered to follow the trail in they saw that wall covered in bloody letters.

'Where is your hero now?'

Reading this Alfred clenched his fist tightly.

"Who could have done something like this? Why would they go after Mattie?"

Gilbert glanced around, disturbed by the carnage and hoping for some kind of clue to who had done this when he spotted a picture laying on the floor next to the wall with the message.

"Shit, I should have been here. They were taunting him, asking him where his hero was as they..."

Gilbert picks up the picture and interrupts Alfred's ranting about how he was the hero and should have been here.

"Al, why would they write that for Birdie to read? He would have been 'dead' before they wrote it given how much blood there is. Besides, look at this."

Gilbert holds out the picture he had picked up so Alfred could get a look at it. It was a picture of the two brothers. They had their arms around one another and were smiling. However over Matthew in the picture was a bloody smear drawing on a cape and hero symbol.

"I think, that question is for you."

"Wha what? I don't get it, Mattie..." Alfred grew silent in thought as he thought about how often Matthew came to his rescue. Silently aiding him and helping him look good in the world's eyes. It finally dawned on him that he never really saved anyone, it had always been Matthew in some subtle way. How could he have not noticed that?

"We should get back and inform the others about what happened. We'll need to send out searches for him and contact local police."

Alfred feels his rage building once again as he clutches the picture hard enough to crack the glass. "Oh, I think I already know who is responsible for this."

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Hey guys, what's up? So anyway, fun Idea I had for a little story, let me know what you think and more may be on the way.


	2. Chapter 2

They dragged the half conscious body down the stairs and propped it against the wall before one of them took a few lengths of rebar in hand. The other held the body in place as the one with the steel drove it into the arms and legs of their captive. He cried out, screaming for mercy as the steel plunged into his limbs, pinning him to the concrete wall behind him and the floor. Blood oozed from the wounds and pooled on the floor beneath him. Once the limbs were secured the one driving the rebar into place grabbed a few pieces that were bent into 'U' shapes and drove them into the wall and floor around the captive's limbs securing him in place.

"Heh, that was almost too easy."

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

"Why? Because I can't stand heroes like you. They make me sick. People who can't look after themselves deserve to be left to die not saved by some goody goody that thinks he's better than the rest."

The captive slumps, his blonde hair hanging limp as his captors laugh before heading up the stairs and out of the basement.

"Lad?"

A hoarse voice breaks through the darkness of the unlit basement.

"A Arthur? What?"

"Bloody hell, they've had me down here for... weeks, months? I'm not even sure anymore."

"Arthur who are they, what do they want?"

"I wish I knew lad, I surely wish I knew."

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Alfred and Gilbert had hurried back to the UN building and the meeting room. Even though the day was only meant for checking in so you were accounted for in meetings many nations still tended to gather in the meeting room to socialize and discuss things that were going to be brought up in the meeting. This approach had been helpful in lessening the number of disruptions during the meetings. The two burst into the room and, drawing attention to themselves. Gilbert hurried to his brother while Alfred scanned the room before making a beeline toward Russia. Reaching the Russian he grabs him by the collar of his shirt and lifts him from his seat, glaring down at him with fury and hate.

When Gilbert reached his brother he quickly tried to explain what was going on before both were distracted by the commotion growing around Ivan and Alfred.

"Where is he you sick bastard? What have you done to Matthew?"

Ivan looks at Alfred with confusion, trying to mask his nervousness at having to deal with a very pissed off America, the last time he had been this mad was after 9/11 and before that was Pearl Harbor. Everyone knew by now you did not try to fight a pissed off America if you valued your life.

"Matvey? I do not know what you are talking about Amerika."

"My brother! I know you attacked him in his home you bastard. Where did you take him? What have you done with him?"

England approached the pair and rested his hand on Alfred's arm in a soothing manner.

"Alfred, lad, let him down I doubt Ivan would do anything to your brother. He's probably just out and about, nothing to worry about."

Alfred shifts his burning blue eyes to Arthur before going back to Ivan and shaking him roughly. "If he was just out then why the hell was there blood splattered all over his house? It was everywhere and I know this bastard has to have been responsible."

The rest of the room went silent at Alfred's statement and suddenly the situation became all the more tense before Gilbert stepped forward, clipboard in hand.

"Alfred, calm down. I know you're worried about Mattie but Ivan couldn't have been the one to attack him. He's been here since early this morning and that blood hadn't even fully dried yet, it was still fresh, maybe a couple hours old. It wasn't a nation that attacked him, it was someone else."

Alfred looks between Gilbert and Ivan for several long tense minutes before slowly releasing Ivan and turning his back on him. His bangs fall forward to shield his face and cover it in shadows.

"Right then. We should all be careful since we don't know who else this person or persons may be going after. For now I suggest everyone go and rest up for tomorrow. Gilbert, Alfred stay here for a bit while I call the police in Canada and let them know to go begin and investigation. And I will tell them to keep us informed, but we still have a meeting and there is really not much we can do in searching for him."

Gilbert nods but Alfred just continues to stand there as everyone else makes their way out of the conference room.

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"You two are really bad. I can't believe you would make such a mess of his house. You were only supposed to grab him and bring him back here."

The door at the top of the stairs opens and Matthew and Arthur look up from their places bound against the concrete floor and walls.

"Hey don't blame us, the hero put up a fight and you know how Matthieu is when it comes to 'heroes'."

Two figures begin a descent down the stairs and the light comes on. Matthew is able to make out the features of one of his captors and his eyes widen in shock at seeing Arthur following him down. He looks between the Arthur slumped on the wall across from him and then back to the free one.

"But Freddie, Alfie wouldn't have known anything was wrong if you had just stuck to the plan. You shouldn't have taken Matthieu if you knew he was going to only cause problems."

"Relax Artie I wouldn't have been able to get him on my own, we both know that. So who's next? The wanna be or can we get the Russian so I can bring Vanya over, he can play at being Russia for a bit before we make our final move.

'Artie' seems to scowl lightly before taking a damp cloth and washing his face to reveal freckles and then removing what looks like colored contacts,showing his eyes to be a swirl of pink and blue.

"We need to take Alfie out of the picture, he's a loose canon and could mess things up if he figures out where his brother is. Besides since you won't let me play with you I can play with him and its almost the same thing."

'Freddie' seems to wince at the comment and Matthew simply watches as the two head back up the stairs and shut off the light.

"Arthur?"

"I know lad, I know. That's why I didn't hope for a rescue from down here. He's a bloody good actor. I'm sure you noticed the other two resemble your brother and yourself."

"Yeah."

"I wish I knew what they were up to and why they are doing all of this."

Matthew glances up at the door and then bends his wrist down to feel for the bar in his arm. He manages to get a grip on it and pulls at it.

"Matthew, lad what are you?"

"We need to get out of here before they go after Alfred or anyone else."

Matthew grunts in pain as he slowly begins to work the rebar out of his flesh and the wall behind him. It is slow going and Arthur quietly encourages him while still telling him he shouldn't be moving so much with the rebar piercing him. Eventually Matthew manages to get the first piece out and lets it roll down to his leg before lightly clattering on the floor. He begins on the piece in his other arm, this one going much faster. Once the first two are out matthew wriggles his arms to work out the loop holding them against the wall. He manages to pull that out, panting in pain and at the effort. One by one he removes all the rebar holding him in place, pulling the last piece from around his legs just as they hear footsteps and voices approaching the door to the basement once again. Matthew scurries over to Arthur and breaks the shackles holding him in place as the door opens. He looks around frantically for an escape and spots a small high window leading to the outside.

He grabs Arthur with his bloody hands and helps him to open and climb out the window as the voices of their captors rise in alarm at their being free.

"Arthur go, get help. Hurry!"

He shoves Arthur out the rest of the way just as he feels something solid connect with his back, dropping him to the ground. Arthur hears the sound of Matthew falling and hesitates giving Fred the opportunity to grab his ankle and begin to pull him back in. Matthew though grabs and bites Fred's ankle, causing him to drop Arthur's and allow Arthur his escape.

"Why you? I didn't figure you were so stubborn, that rebar should have kept you in place."

Fred kicks Matthew in the gut, causing him to curl up on himself at the pain, his wounds were still oozing blood as he prayed for Arthur to get away and bring back help.

Meanwhile Arthur was making good on his escape. He felt horrible that he left Matthew behind, but realized it was better one of them make it out and to freedom than neither. Arthur was quick to realize he was in New York and praised heaven and earth for his fortune, he only hoped Alfred was home right now.

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"How could you let him get away?"

Matthieu was furious he had to restrain himself from beating his brother and Artie. Instead he just glared at them as Artie put on his disguise and hurried out the door. He was going to head for Alfred's house and try to cut off the escaped nation before he got there. It was the only thing the three could think of to prevent this from leading to their plans falling apart.


	3. Chapter 3

Alfred was sitting on his couch with GIlbert, his babysitter so he didn't do something stupid, fuming about not being able to do anything in the search for his brother. Just as Gilbert was getting ready to yell at the other for his behavior there came a frantic knocking at the door. Both turned with wide eyes as Alfred then got up to answer the door.

"Alfred! Thank God you're home!"

Arthur launched himself into the house and wrapped Alfred in a tight hug. His clothes looked filthy and he seemed to smell slightly himself, which caused Alfred's nose to wrinkle at the stench. Then he noticed Arthur's wrists which were bruised and chaffed like they had been bound by something hard and unyielding.

"Artie, Arthur what's wrong?"

"It's horrible, they. Matthew got me out of there but they still have him. There's no telling what they'll do to him. Alfred you have to help him."

Alfred's eyes widen at the mention of Matthew and he gently pulls Arthur away from him so he can look him in the eyes.

"Arthur, where is Mattie and who took him?"

Arthur seems to shudder for a moment before the adrenaline fully leaves his body and he slumps in Alfred's grip.

"They're us, but they're not. It's like they're our evil twins or something, there are three of them and one of them has been masquerading as myself since they grabbed me a few weeks or months ago. I couldn't really keep track of time down there."

"Wha?"

"Alfred, bring him over here and have him sit down would you? Man looks like he's going to fall over any minute."

Alfred helps Arthur to the couch and settles him down before letting him talk about what happened.

"Now what do you mean by 'evil twins' Arthur?"

"They look almost exactly like us. Well you, me and Matthew at least. They made mention of others but those three are the only ones here now and seem to be the ones in charge of whatever they are doing."

"How did you get away then?"

Arthur bites his lip before speaking. "Alfred I didn't want to leave him behind but if I had tried to help him..."

"Don't worry I understand, you did the right thing getting help Arthur, now how did you escape?"

"Matthew had been pinned down more thoroughly than me but he managed to free himself before breaking the shackles holding me he shoved me up and out of the window so I could run for help. Matthew probably wouldn't have been doing much running even if they hadn't come down right then and nearly caught us. Matthew must have distracted them so I could get away. The poor lad's probably been beaten so badly or worse. Alfred his counterpart absolutely hates him, I think if the other two weren't around he probably would have acted out one of your slasher films on the boy."

That comment had Alfred paling when he thought about Matthew's house.

"Come on we're going to get you back to the conference center so we can let everyone know what is going on. Do you know who they were going after next?"

Arthur nods, "You, I believe, I think its because you were trying to find your brother."

Arthur is interrupted from continuing by a knock on the door. Alfred looks up and then glances between Arthur and Gilbert, signalling them to hide before going to answer the door.

"Alfred! Thank goodness I got here in time. Listen I think the ones that took your brother may try coming after you. One of them looks remarkably like me but obviously is not me. We should get you somewhere safe," The Arthur Alfred had just let in, one that was cleanly dressed and groomed, was suddenly cut off as a frying pan connects with the back of his head. This frying pan was wielded by Arthur, the dirty one, and he seemed smuggly satisfied by his maneuver.

"Ok... I guess we'll take him with us. But uh, first Arthur maybe you should take a bath and change into something cleaner?"

Arthur looks down at his clothes and nods in agreement.

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Matthew meanwhile had been living in hell the past few hours. Since he helped Arthur to escape he had been once again pinned in place by rebar through his limbs, this time he couldn't just easily reach what was through him and it seemed Matthieu was thoroughly enjoying putting more through him. He had given up on screaming out as his voice had gone hoarse and the pain was a constant.

"Matthieu, I think something's happened to Artie."

"Really, what makes you say that?"

"He's been gone too long. He was supposed to have gotten Alfred and come right back here but he isn't back yet."

"You think Arthur beat him to Alfred's place?"

"Probably."

"So why does it matter?"

"We do kind of need him to bring the others through."

Matthieu rolls his eyes at his brother before kicking Matthew and heading up the stairs.

"Let's go fetch him then shall we, besides if he talks everything is ruined."

The two head up and out. Matthew can hear them leaving and makes an attempt to get free. Unlike last time, when they had used the 'U' shaped pieces to hold him in place they hadn't used them this time and he was able to slowly and painfully lift himself off the rods pinning him.

Now free he just need to try and get to the conference center, no doubt that was where Alfred would take his prisoner if he truly had Artie.

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Back at the conference center Alfred had tied Artie up to a chair and placed him in the center of the room. Germany, Russia, Italy, France and Japan were there along with Alfred, Arthur and Gilbert. Several from the first group were glancing between the 'twins' in confusion.

"So are you sure you have the correct one mon ami. What if this is a trick and you've tied up the wrong England?"

"I highly doubt that I could be the fake." Arthur grumbles before grabbing a water pitcher and tossing it in the face of his unconscious clone. The water served two purposes, the first was to wake the fraud up and the second was to wash off his make up.

"Owwie, my head. You big meanie, why did you have to hit me?"

Artie looks up and the drippy makeup allows his freckles to show, though the whiny tone he was using was so different than the Arthur they were used to many were convinced before seeing his face.

"Ve~ Germany Who do you think he is?"

"Actually Italy, I think the better question is where did he come from?" Arthur steps forward toward his clone, arms crossed and looks down at him crossly.

Artie pouts at Arthur, his lips pressed into a thin line, stubbornly refusing to speak.

Alfred, who had been silent up until this point, frowns and steps forward. His eyes narrow as he approaches Artie and glowers down at him. Artie sees this and seems to cower away from him.

"Where is my brother? Why did you take him?" The barely contained fury is tangible in Alfred's voice and question.

A whimper escapes Artie and he tries to turn away from Alfred. "Matthieu wanted him, not me I thought it would be better to just lay low, but he, he couldn't stand there being a hero. All our heroes, he destroyed them."

Just as Artie is opening his mouth to continue a loud bang interrupts him, cutting him off. Everyone in the room turns to the door to see two figures standing in it. One has black hair with dark sunglasses propped low on his nose just barely covering red eyes, he wore a black bomber jacket and held a bat with nails poking out of it. The other was a very pale almost white blonde tied back in a short tail with dark almost black violet eyes, he's dress in a red fitted jacket with a hockey stick held tightly in his hand. The thing that shocked them the most was how much they looked like Alfred and Matthew.

"Freddie, you came to save me!"

"Shut up Artie. We only came because we need you to bring the others here."

The one that looks like Matthew steps forward, brandishing his hockey stick at those across the room from him. "Hand him over and I might just let you get away without a beating. Now, make this easy on yourselves and hand him over."

"Why do you need him?" It was Gilbert that stepped forward and voiced the question.

Alfred scoffs taking a practice swing with his bat. "We just do, now hand him over or this is going to get messy"

The nations shift on their feet at the threats but most stand their ground, Italy and France being the exceptions, hiding behind the others. Artie seems to cringe away from the impending battle.

"Artie you better have kept your mouth closed."

Just after Matthieu finishes his sentence another bang echoes through the conference room. In the ensuing silence all eyes fall on Matthieu as he looks down at his chest where a red stain in forming just over his heart. He falls to his knees revealing Matthew standing in the doorway behind him with a gun held in his outstretched hand. His clothes are torn and bloody and at his feet seems to be a trail of fresh blood. Through the holes in his clothes they can just make out fresh scabs and what seems to be holes in his flesh.

"That was for the rebar."

"Matthieu! You!" Fred shouts in surprise before running at Matthew with his bat held ready to swing. Matthew barely pauses before shifting the aim of his gun and firing.

"Ever heard the phrase 'Don't bring a knife to a gunfight'? It applies to bats too apparently."

"Mattie?" Matthew turns to his brother before letting the obvious damage to his own body finally show as he falls to his knees and drops the gun. Alfred runs toward his brother, catching him before he falls flat on the floor. Gilbert is close behind as is Arthur with his phone out and dialing 911 to call an ambulance and the police.


	4. Chapter 4

It didn't take long for the police and the ambulance to arrive. At first they were only going to take Artie but Arthur jumped in and said that the two that had been shot should also be taken into custody despite appearing dead. The others were shocked that he would think them still alive but his evidence that they were the nations' counterparts from some alternate universe held strong enough that Alfred managed to get the cops to at least secure the bodies to test it. As it turned out Matthieu came to while they were securing Fred, fortunately he had already been secured. It proved the point and lead Alfred to recommend a stronger means of containment as the infamous North American strength made an appearance.

Matthew meanwhile had been bundled off to the nearby hospital with Gilbert riding in the ambulance with him. When they reached the hospital Gilbert managed to explain some of what Matthew was to the doctor so he Matthew would be treated appropriately. He was glad he had when the doctor went over the x-rays with him showing the recent bone remodeling and remaining fractures. When asked Gilbert explained that as a nation they could heal more rapidly but let things take a more natural order or, with enough concentration, heal critical areas more quickly than usual and ignore the rest. As both of Matthew's legs had had broken bones as well as both arms it was a miracle Matthew had been able to heal the bones in both legs and one arm so he could walk and wield the gun. The doctor explained that from their observations of the healing of the wounds they seem to have stopped or gone to a normal human rate. He theorized to Gilbert that this was probably due to the energy it took to do all he had done as quickly as it had been done.

A few days later Arthur made sure he and Alfred were present during the interrogation of Artie in regards to the plan the three alternates had had. All be it Alfred had been a bit surprised when it was revealed Artie had been wearing colored contacts and seen his true eyes for the first time. After he got over his initial surprise though Arthur had jumped right into why they were there and managed to get the full story from his alternate. Apparently their world was slowly dying due to the violent nature of their world and its people. The plan apparently had been to infiltrate this world and capture all of its nations' people in order to replace them. When asked what would have happened to this world's nations Artie confessed he didn't know as it was greatly theoretical, though he also mentioned that simply being there had reduced or even eliminated his ties to his world, thus tying him to this one. Telling them that the alternates wouldn't really need to get rid of their counterparts in this world, though many would be blood thirsty enough to try.

Alfred almost offered to let Artie bring the others from his world as refugees but Arthur seemed appalled by the idea.

"Alfred we have no way of knowing if he's telling the truth and besides he even told us that many of them would just try what those other two were up to or worse, what if they destroy our world as they did theirs?"

Instead Artie was offered a chance to return to his world. He refused after they told him Fred would not be able to return with him, he and Matthieu were too dangerous to release, even back to their world. This being the case Arthur was given custody of Artie, after he was fitted with a tracking anklet, while Matthieu and Fred were locked in a strengthened cell under heavy guard.

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This ending feels like a cop out but I just can't think of how else to wrap things up. May, just may do a sequel about how Gilbert helps Matthew to recover but it's iffy. If enough people want it, then maybe, but only then. Anyway, please review.


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